~J. R. R. Tolkien

- Peter F. Drucker

Tweet new listings.
People are following you presumably because they have some interest in what you have to say or show. So, show them. Let them know when you’ve added an item to your store front. Don’t wait for clients to happen upon your work.

Offer specials to Twitter followers.
In order to maximize your potential on Twitter, you need to know what works. If you announce a sale or a special exclusive to followers and you sell out of a product, you’ve just gained valuable insight into how to reach and convert. Knowing what works gives you the foundation on which to build.

Announce an open studio day.
Create buzz by announcing a future open studio. Then, open your studio virtually to your followers. Let them see works in progress. Share your thoughts about techniques or different approaches you’re taking with your work. Knowing the story behind a painting makes it more interesting. It adds value.

Some people look at Twitter as a waste of time. Twitter is what you make it. Create the reality you want and you may just find you’ve reached a whole new audience.

The flip side to this is that same client who is so steadfast in their vision that they are not open to changes that will optimize the site and make it more search engine friendly. Certainly, as a designer, the goal is to create a good site. For my part, I could not, nor would not, create a site that was not search engine friendly. That’s where you, as the professional, need to take charge.

The number one rule of web design is the visitor. Make the site easy to find. Make the navigation intuitive.  Consider your visitor in design and layout. They are the most important reason for a website. If satisfying the visitor means giving up your vision, it is a fair trade.

The key to making your presence known is consistency. You want to build up the anticipation of your next blog post, your next tweet, your next status update. You can’t do it if you’re inconsistent. Your followers will grow bored. There will be someone else willing and able to capture their attention.

Your main objective: be consistent on your social presence.

Tweet daily. Update your Facebook status, your fan page. Connect with your followers. Answer niche-related questions on LinkedIn, Yahoo, any other site. Get your name out there as an authority.

It happens gradually. The average person sees your name around enough and you’re the expert. Capitalize on it. Update consistently and give value. This is the key to building your online presence.

So, it occurred to me, how to cope and not stress out over work? How would I keep it together when I was being pulled in so many directions? The first thing I did was develop a plan.

I listed all of the items that I’d like to accomplish in a typical day. Nothing specific, but rather, set time aside to blog, to market, that kind of thing. Then, I wrote up an agenda. I allotted time for each of those tasks or projects that I wanted to hit. The mere idea of creating this schedule calmed me. I could do it. With a direction, I could keep those major goals in mind.

In my other life, I work at a vet clinic. It’s kind of nice to get paid for playing with puppies and kittens. The doctors all have small blocks of time set aside that we refer to as “emergency slots”. This time can’t be booked ahead of time. It’s for the emergencies that occur that day. Into my own agenda, I added my own emergency slots to deal with the fires that flare up out of the blue. What do you mean you want it today? You told me next week, that kind of thing.

I feel much better now. I’m covered for the routine, the projects, and the craziness. Perhaps this can help you too to get a handle on your day before it hands you something you don’t want.

~Bill Cosby

Naturally, one wants to know who is doing the blogging. I’ve had an opportunity to check out many blogs, both good and bad. Since blogging is a way people are trying to make money, here’s some advice about making money doing it.

Blog regularly.
I can’t tell you how many blogs I’ve nixed because the posts just aren’t there. If you want to make money at blogging, you need an audience. You get an audience by writing. Period.

Save the rants.
If you’re listing your blog on a site to get advertisers to offer you money to blog, can the rants about the cable company, your husband, the kids, or eBay. If you’re presenting yourself as a professional, act like one. Again, there were many blogs I bypassed simply because of the language or tone of the blog. As an advertiser, I’m not going to want a post on a blog that is controversial or otherwise, unprofessional. Save the rants for your personal blog, not the one with which you’re trying make money.

Watch your language.
Perhaps we are a bit more desensitized as a whole, nevertheless, watch the potty mouth when blogging. Laying out cash on an anonymous blogger is a risk. Businesses don’t want to waste money on a blogger that is liable to offend. Heck and darn get the point across too.

I realize that this may seem way conservative, but frankly, it’s a fact. With the age of being so connected, businesses can’t afford negative associations, especially now when advertising dollars have to be managed better than ever. If you want to make money blogging, show the businesses that you’re a good risk.

The same, I believe, holds true for painting. A painting is a personal expression of the artist. That expression includes her experiences, her impressions, and her emotions of the subject matter. The resulting work is a more complex picture, drawing elements of an esoteric nature.

Next week, I’m on vaction, thank goodness. I’m traveling to a place that I’ve visited for many years and truly love, Door County, Wisconsin. While there, my camera will be my trusty companion, recording my many adventures. Then, I will take these photographs, along with my experiences, and create personal works. My paintings will include the unseen elements that only one who has visited would know. I will bring a sense of authenticity to my work.

So, I put this challenge to other artists: find that place that you love. Experience it and bring it to your art. Let us experience your joy.